Plenty of new electronic vehicle (EV) owners are looking into whether or not a portable generator can charge their electric car if their traditional charging system fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sifting through all of the info out there about can a portable generator charge electric car can feel like a real uphill battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people say it\u2019s effortless to pull off, others say it\u2019s impossible, and others still waffle between yes it can be done and no it can\u2019t without ever giving a definitive answer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, by the time you\u2019re done with this detailed guide you\u2019ll know for certain if you can power your EV vehicle with a portable generator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right out of the gate, you should know that you definitely can power an electric car with a portable generator \u2013 but you have to be sure that you\u2019re using the right generator to pull this off.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, the portable generator you choose needs to have a clean output sine wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sine wave needs to be as pure as possible<\/strong>, flooding your EV with as much clean and consistent energy as it can without ever \u201cpolluting\u201d the system with unreliable and inconsistent electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means that you are going to need an inverter portable generator<\/strong>. A traditional generator<\/a> just can\u2019t produce the kind of sine wave you need.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Inverter generators<\/strong> solve the sine wave issue by inverting DC to AC, which results in a consistent power output. On top of that, you need to be sure that your new portable generator is capable of delivering exactly the right amount of charge your EV vehicle needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, be aware some inverters have a sine wave that is a modified square wave<\/strong> or a simple square wave<\/strong>. Some EV vehicles will detect this energy as dirty, and will fail to charge. This is to protect the cars sensitive electronics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When researching portable inverter generators, always insist<\/strong> on an inverter with pure sine wave effect<\/strong>. Cheaper inverter generators typically offer a modified sine wave rather than pure sine wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most cars are going to need anywhere between 28 and 30 A or so. Take a look at your owners manual or online for the exact power requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Square those two things away, though, and you should be good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot of obvious advantages to charging your EV vehicle with a portable generator, including (but not limited to):<\/p>\n\n\n\n You also have a lot more control over how your EV battery charges when you\u2019re using a portable generator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same, there are certainly some challenges to charging EV cars with portable generators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why a lot of people wonder \u201ccan a portable generator charge electric car\u201d in the first place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To begin with, small portable generators generally aren\u2019t going to have enough \u201cjuice\u201d to get your EV back on the road. You need to be sure that your generator has the energy production capability to fill your EV battery backup to 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, you may not be able to find a portable generator with a hookup for your specific EV.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan a Portable Generator Charge an Electric Car?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Advantages of Charging an EV with a Portable Generator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Why It\u2019s a Challenge to Charge Electric Cars with Portable Generators<\/h2>\n\n\n\n